Friends and Family
by Lingren
Summary: Jack considers life with his family while they reflect on his influence over them.


Friends and Family.

By Lingren.

Status: Complete.

Category: Angst, Hurt/Comfort.

Season: 4.

Spoilers: Children of the Gods, Solitudes, Divide & Conquer.

Summary: Jack reflects on his 'family' around him, while his team-mates consider their CO.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

by Lingren.

The unfamiliar stars peppered the clear sky, shining brightly against the velvet blackness of the alien night. The distant moon orbiting the planet was radiant, shedding it's luminescent light onto the clearing in the otherwise dense forest that covered most of PX9 775.

A small fire burned cheerily in the centre of the camp site, sending alternate shadows and flickering light across everything in a radius around it. Two tents stood to one side, their flaps zipped tight against the chill of the night while their occupants slept, cocooned inside warm sleeping bags.

Teal'c's eyes were alert to any danger as he walked the camp perimeter again, his giant hand resting easily around the shaft of his staff weapon. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary, and he appeared to be relaxed but he never dropped his guard. Years of living with danger had taught him never to underestimate any given situation.

They had been on the planet for several days now, and so far they met neither wild beast nor any native inhabitants. He sensed a deep calm from his symbiote within, and that boded well. There was a serene peace here on this planet; a seeming paradise; but as he and the other team-members knew, that place never existed and this planet could be no exception.

Assured that all was secure he cast his eyes back to the solitary figure lying beside the fire. His friend, and leader of his team, his new family. The silver haired man lay wrapped in a sleeping bag and covered with a blanket, his head and shoulders propped casually against a fallen tree trunk, his ever present ball cap pulled low over his eyes.

Teal'c couldn't tell from where he stood whether O'Neill was asleep or not, but decided not to disturb him, just in case he was. He would let the man rest. He stayed there several minutes just gazing at the man who had changed his whole life in just one day. The Tau'ri warrior who had pleaded not for his own life to be spared, but for those of the other prisoners held captive by Apophis, a false god but his idol at that time. He knew better than that now, and O'Neill had given him the first hope of escaping from the tyranny that he'd only dared to think about.

They had fought many battles side by side since that day. That day when the Tau'ri stranger had invited him to join him; given him a reason and a chance to fight back; had given him his longed for freedom; had given him hope for all Jaffa.

Jack O'Neill had become a great friend along the way, and Teal'c would trust him with his life, and he knew the man felt the same of him. It was his honour to fight by his side in the war against the false gods who enslaved those who could not fight back against the evil power.

Teal'c roused from his reverie and moved on, still alert to any movements either from outside the camp or from within.

OoOoOoOoO

Colonel Jack O'Neill's dark eyes watched from under the brim of his cap as his warrior friend walk the perimeter. Saw clearly as Teal'c stood for a moment looking back at him. He made no move to reveal his wakefulness, but sat silently in the glow from the fire, feeling it's warmth on his face against the chill night air.

Jack's mind drifted, reflecting over the years he had known the Jaffa warrior. There were so many memories, so many instances that the ex-first prime had saved his ass. Today was no exception, and the stoic response was always the same; a humble bow of his head and nothing more was needed. The tall dark skinned Jaffa was an enigma. A man of very few words, but also of great courage and fortitude. Jack had never met such a person before and doubted whether he would again, save for Bra'tac, and a few others, though none could hold a candle to Teal'c for loyalty and trust. Jack liked the Jaffa Master Bra'tac well enough, but he couldn't be classed as a friend; not like Teal'c could.

He coughed a little and shifted slightly, feeling dry and thirsty and uncomfortable.

Teal'c was there in a moment. A hand lightly resting on his shoulder.

"O'Neill?"

Jack nodded slowly and reached out and took the proffered canteen of water from his friend's hand then swallowed a mouthful of the tepid liquid. It was enough for now.

"Thanks Teal'c. Anything moving out there?"

"There is nothing amiss my friend, all is well," the Jaffa reported.

"That's good," Jack sighed and settled himself back against the log, closing his eyes.

Teal'c remained watching him for a second before regaining his feet and striding back to his duty of protecting his team.

Jack remained quiet, his senses dulling until he fell asleep, lulled by the silence and the lack of danger, secure under the protection of his team-mate.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam felt a hand shaking her shoulder, and roused immediately.

"Major Carter!"

"Teal'c? What's wrong?" she asked sleepily, desperate to push the remnants of slumber from her brain.

"It is time for your watch!" he stated calmly.

With a relief born of experience in waking to expected danger, Sam sighed thankfully.

"Any change Teal'c?"

"None!"

"Is the Colonel awake?"

"Not that I was aware of Major Carter."

"Okay! Right. I'll be there in a second Teal'c," she assured him, pulling herself from the confines of her sleeping bag, and tugging on her boots. "What about Daniel?"

"He remains asleep."

"Good."

Teal'c backed out of the tent and took his place across the fire from his CO, adding yet more dry kindling to the dying embers before settling cross-legged to begin his Kel-no-reem.

By this time Sam had emerged, fixing her P90 to the strap around her neck and making straight for the Colonel. She squatted down beside him and peered under the bill of his cap to see if he was asleep still. His chin was resting on his chest and his eyes were closed, his heavy breathing was slow and regular.

A broad smile lit her features and she backed away quietly nodding her relief to Teal'c who had paused to watch her. Teal'c bowed his head a little then closed his eyes, preparing to meditate once more.

Sam's smile still lingered as she walked away, happy that her commander was sleeping. He hadn't slept well for the last two nights, and now she supposed his exhaustion had finally caught up with him.

She trod carefully and as quietly as she could among the bushes at the edge of the clearing, her eyes and ears straining in the darkness for anything that might signal danger. Having checked out the area, her thoughts returned once again to her CO. The Colonel; Jack was everything that a CO should be, and more. He was the glue that held the team together. She may be the brains of the outfit and Daniel may be the conscience; Teal'c, well, he was like a guard dog and let nothing get by him if he could help it; while Jack, and she always like to think of his as that, was the life and soul of their family. Their patriarch, though he would most likely balk at that description.

His witticisms, bad jokes, sarcastic comments and clichés were part and parcel of the uncomplicated yet enigmatic man, and she dearly loved them all; though she would never admit that to him of course. The three of them, Teal'c, Daniel and herself always made a big thing about pretending to hate them; but who could detest them and yet still like the man behind them? They were the epitome of the puzzle that made up Colonel Jack O'Neill.

She idolised him, knowing full well what he had lived through. The unsavoury things he had accomplished during his time in Black Ops. The heartache of losing his son and then his wife, was just another experience which he had suffered through to make him the man he was. There was a deep affinity between the two of them, unspoken though it was, it had been acknowledged. Therefore there had to be hope, that at some stage in their future they could fulfil the dream that they both shared.

She looked back at the Colonel as he shifted again, coughing a little, but settling quickly. She smiled again as her heart lifted at the sight of him. Asleep was the only time she ever saw him still, though there were other more frightening times which she didn't want to dwell on; like when he was badly injured and they were stuck beneath the ice in Antarctica. He thought he was going to die and she was powerless to help him. The honour had been all hers, serving with him had been such a privilege for the past four years.

OoOoOoOoO

When Jack awoke it was with a groan. His body stiff and hot. He reached out a hand and threw aside the blanket that was covering him, then wriggled down so he lay on the hard ground on his back looking up at the stars. He coughed once more and this time accepted the canteen from Sam, propping himself up on his elbow to drink from it.

"Thanks Carter."

"You okay sir?"

He ignored the question, asking one instead.

"Everything alright out there?"

Sam knew that he would avoid talking about himself. He always did.

"Yes sir. Quiet as a graveyard," she yawned.

"Tired Carter?"

"Yes sir! I was just about to wake Daniel. It's his turn at keeping watch."

"Already?" he asked surprised by her statement.

"Believe it or not sir, you have been asleep!"

"I thought I'd only just shut my eyes for a minute," he muttered.

Sam grinned.

"You need anything Colonel?"

"Nah! I'm fine; thanks. Go get some rest Carter!"

"Yes sir!"

Sam stood again and headed towards Daniel's tent.

Jack watched her go, as he lay back again, unconsciously smiling at the memory of her face full of admiration for him, yet it was tinged with apprehension. She always worried so. He knew this, and he felt the same about her whenever they were on a mission. He admired her greatly, she was a brilliant yet beautiful woman, and a competent soldier to boot.

If he were really honest with himself, he would admit that she held the strings of his heart. He never believed he could ever love again but Sam's arrival into his life had shot that notion down in flames. It wasn't the same kind of love that he'd felt about Sara or Charlie. The love he felt for this woman surpassed passion. That wasn't what he felt about her so much. Yes it was there and he would love to take things further between them; but it wasn't just that. There was more; he needed her to be with him for companionship, for sharing things, for eternity. The list was endless. The need limitless. The love bottomless.

Jack's eyes drifted shut again without him realising it, and moments later he was sound asleep again. His dreams pleasant and entirely centred on the blonde haired, blue eyed Major that meant the world to him.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack woke, feeling unaccountably hot again, and as consciousness broke through him, he realised that the blanket had been laid over him again. He threw it back once more and searched for the canteen, reaching for it still half asleep.

A hand appeared in front of his eyes holding two Tylenol out for him to take.

"Jack!"

His headache spiked as he glared up at Daniel, the rising sun sending piercing bright daggers into his eyes. Daniel moved slightly, so that Jack lay in his shadow.

"Better?"

Jack nodded slightly and sighed. He swallowed the pills down with a gulp of the water, thrusting the canteen back at his friend with less than gentleness.

"You need anything?"

"Nope!"

"You should get some more sleep Jack," Daniel suggested.

Jack just looked up at him, but laid down again anyway.

"Isn't that my line?" he grumbled.

"You don't own the copyright Jack!"

"Daniel!" he warned.

Daniel merely smirked then stood up and walked back to where he'd been sitting and picked up his journal again.

Jack lay awake watching him as he wrote about their mission in the book. What was Daniel writing about in there? Jack wondered. Was it about the mission in general or was it personal stuff? Daniel was good with words; languages were his forte. Who would have thought that this 'geek' would also hold a place in his heart. He'd brushed aside any dealings with Daniel on that first mission, hating him for what he was; a genius; a scientist; and a wimp at first impression. Their encounter with Ra had changed that belief though.

By the time that adventure had concluded, he believed in Daniel. An honourable man and one that had saved his life by taking the staff blast meant for him; the selfless action had made him rethink about his wish to die. After Charlie's tragic death he no longer had the will to live. The bottom had dropped out of his world and he couldn't face the future without the son he adored. 'No parent should outlive their child!' The familiar words back came to him unbidden as he pondered the past.

Jack swallowed the morbid thoughts and turned his concentration back to Daniel. Daniel was his friend now. He could call him that with honesty. For some strange reason the two of them had 'gelled'. Goodness knew why; they were complete opposites in reality. Jack loved all things quirky and saw humour in every situation, covering up his true feelings with sarcasm; whereas Daniel was deadly serious about every little thing. This sneezing, allergy ridden geek had matured into a valuable member of his team and he couldn't even dare contemplate what his life would be like without him now. Daniel had become the child he missed; like the brother who needed protecting, and he was more than willing to do just that.

OoOoOoOoO

As he scratched away in his journal with the stubby pencil, Daniel smiled when he looked up and saw that Jack had finally fallen asleep again. The man was impossible sometimes. From the corner of his eye he'd seen his friend watching him, gazing at him through sleepy eyes as he wrote about his feelings and findings of the past days, knowing that Jack would find the written passages intimidating and probably uncomfortable too, but Jack would never read them at least not while he, Daniel Jackson, still lived. Yet Daniel could see the real man underneath all the bravado and sarcasm. He'd seen Jack O'Neill at his worst and by some quirky twist of fate, he'd been the one to help Jack put his life back on track. To be able to give him a reason to continue living had been his privilege, and it had been the right thing to do. Jack brought a richness and depth of quality to his otherwise sedentary nature.

Jack had shown him a whole new life outside of his work. He'd introduced him to Hockey which, although he would never admit it to Jack, he quite enjoyed watching with his friend. Jack had filled a huge void in his life, missing since his parents' tragic death so long ago.

Daniel dragged his thoughts back to the present and put his book away, concentrating instead on putting the coffee on the fire to heat up. It would soon be time to move. They were going home.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam poked her head out of the tent and her body followed quickly as she made her way to Jack's side. He was still asleep and she reached out a hand to feel his brow. His eyes shot open and he treated her to a deep frown.

"Colonel," she greeted him cheerfully, ignoring the deep scowl on his face at her gesture.

"Carter," he croaked, then coughed to clear his thick dry throat.

She pushed the canteen at him again, silently imploring him to take a drink.

"I wasn't sure if you were awake or not sir," she said.

"I wasn't," he grouched, despite the fact it was Sam he was speaking to. He felt grouchy this morning, and it was probably due to the headache which had stubbornly refused to go away.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, thanks. Don't really feel like anything right now."

"How's the head? Headache still there?"

He shrugged, in some way reluctant to admit its existence, especially to anyone else.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said with a hint of exasperation.

He sighed dramatically, and she answered with one of her own.

Ignoring his pained look, she laid a hand against his forehead.

"Your temperature is elevated a little more."

"I'm fine!" he snapped, not really irritated with her, just himself. He hadn't meant to be crotchety this morning, it was just the way he was feeling.

She ignored the brusqueness and felt for his pulse. Her bright blue eyes took on a far away look as she concentrated on the number of beats she could feel throbbing under her fingers.

He flopped back and resigned himself to her ministrations.

"Your pulse is still too rapid sir."

"I'll live!"

"I hope so sir, at least until we can get you back to Janet."

"Jeez Carter! Your concern touches me!"

"Okay...that didn't come out quite right. And you know what I meant...sir!"

"Did I? Hit a man when he's down Carter, won't ya?"

"Because I learned from the best sir!" she grinned.

Jack closed his eyes, but couldn't keep the small smirk from his lips.

"I think I'd better give up before I get bested."

Sam pulled the sleeping bag from him and he shivered as the chilly air hit his overheated body.

"How's the hand sir?" she asked, carefully taking it and checking the bandage. There didn't seem to be any fresh blood which Sam knew was a good sign.

"It's still here Carter. It didn't drop off during the night," he sighed.

"So I see!"

"It's fi... Okay," he said in frustration at her no nonsense scowl. "it hurts like blue blazes." He begrudgingly admitted.

"And the knee?"

"That too!"

Sam waited for the rest of it to follow, but with him, it was like getting blood out of a stone before he would confess to hurting at all.

"Colonel!" she warned.

Jack sighed deeply again but ended up coughing. After another swallow of water he lay back exhausted and uncomfortable.

"It hurts Carter. Everything hurts!"

"Everything?" she gasped in surprise.

"Chest, ribs, breathing!"

Sam winced in sympathy.

"Are you up to waking to the gate sir? If not, Teal'c and Daniel are gonna have to rig up some sort of stretcher for you."

"No way Carter, I can manage...with a little help."

"Sir...I don't really think..."

"No Carter! I refuse to be carried through the gate. I'll manage, even if I have to crawl!"

"If you insist sir."

"I do!"

"Are your knees up to it?" she sniggered, receiving another black look. "It's a long way to crawl sir."

She didn't give him a chance to reply as she hastily left him to pack away her gear.

Teal'c and Daniel had packed their gear away and now all it needed was for Sam to swallow some coffee and breakfast then they could be on their way.

Daniel came and helped Jack up, giving him support while he tended to his personal needs. Then it was time to leave.

Jack, supported by his two team-mates, hobbled along on his one good leg dragging the useless injured one.

"Jack are you sure you can do this?" Daniel asked worried, especially as Jack gasped in pain with every movement.

"No, but I'm giving it a damn good try Daniel."

"Stubborn ass!" Daniel muttered as they made slow progress.

OoOoOoOoO

It had been a long haul to reach the gate but eventually they did. Jack was almost dead on his feet, and they laid him down just beyond the steps of the dais, so that he could rest a while before they dialled home.

They were all exhausted. Teal'c and Daniel had borne most of Jack's weight all the way there.

"Daniel?"

"Jack?"

"I thought you said this planet was like Eden?"

"It is Jack. Look around you. There's nothing but beauty here. It's so peaceful," he sighed. "It's like...well, it's a paradise."

Jack shook his head and immediately regretted it.

"No it's not! I'd call this place, planet Scorpion!"

"Why's that Jack?"

"It's the sting in the tail Daniel. It bit me in the ass."

Daniel and Sam both laughed, making Jack frown again.

"What's so funny?" he grumbled.

"That was your fault Jack. If you will pretend to be Tarzan..."

"I was not!"

"You were!"

"Was not!"

"Was!"

"Not!"

"You were doing a good impersonation of him!"

"I was tryin' to cross the ravine. Was it my fault the damn rope bridge snapped?"

"That's what I mean. All that was missing was the loud warbling call," Daniel snickered.

Jack glared at him, then directed it at Sam as she joined in laughing too.

"O'Neill did yell," Teal'c stated, adding his own comments, "though he needs more practice if he is to sound at all like the real thing."

Jack spluttered in stunned disbelief at the Jaffa's comment, but ended up coughing again.

Sam shook off the laughter at her CO's expense, and realised that his injuries were no laughing matter in reality.

She nudged Daniel's arm and pointed to the DHD with her chin.

"We need to get the Colonel back to Janet, Daniel. It's time we went home!"

Daniel leapt to his feet and dialled the SGC and then Sam punched in their IDC when the wormhole established.

Jack surveyed his team. All three of them meant more than the term 'team-mate' implied. They were SG-1. They had rallied round him despite their light hearted banter. They were family; A family in the real sense of the word. They were the only family he had now and the best thing about them was that they were all alive and in one piece, and now they were going home!

The End.

12


End file.
